What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Sarracenia  *willisii

Dean Cook and I have been having a discussion about S. *willisii
[purpurea * psittacina] * [[purpurea * flava] * purpurea]

This old (1894) hybrid is being sold at various commercial locations, but the photos of the plant that we have seen do not look very much like what we imagine a plant with the above parentage should look like. For example, see
http://www.collectorscorner.com.au/Carnivorous%20Plants/Sarracenia.htm
or more specifically

http://www.collectorscorner.com.au/Carnivo....ll1.jpg

If anyone is growing the "true" S. *willisii and/or has a photo, please drop me an email at
rrz7001@humboldt.edu

Thanks
-Bob Ziemer-
http://www.humboldt.edu/~rrz7001/
 
I think it's been pretty well established that the 'willisii' hybrid is in a state of confusion. Romanowski addresses it somewhat in his Sarracenia book, basically saying several growers he knows of have bred that cross, all with similar results, as surprising as it is. I think the plant in the pictures is 'willisii', but the true parentage is probably unknown to anyone at this point. The courtii x melanhoroda parentage is probably the result of someone reading someone else's poor handwriting, or trying to interpret someone else's poor organization at some point in history. You would think it would have leucophylla in it, however, I could see the psittacina parent invoking the red and white coloration.
 
I resurrect this old thread because while wandering around California Carnivores on Tuesday, I noticed a plant tag that said S. x willisii. Peter believes that this is the true hybrid and not the bogus one which is in wide circulation that clearly includes leucophylla. Of course, being a hybrid, plants having the same complex breeding would likely look quite different from one another (in contrast to clones of a cultivar).

I snapped a couple of photos of Peter's plant. It certainly looks like it could be from
[((purpurea x psittacina) x (purpurea x flava)) x purpurea]

S_willisii1124.JPG


S_willisii1123.JPG
 
While I was at Deans on Saturday he said he was a couple years away from makeing it (or maybe selling it). He would make the ture one which he gurrenteed me Peter did not have. I did not see Peter's plant there but I think Dean is probibly right. He is really into Sarr hybrids (well actaully makeing complicated ones.
 
Back
Top